Scientist. Carpenter. Inspiration
Successful Tivoli Gardens resident hopes to inspire impoverished youths
Published:Monday | August 14, 2023 | 9:54 AMCorey Robinson/Senior Staff Reporter
She still shakes from the crackle of gunshots and explosions outside her windows as the security forces invaded Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston, 13 years ago. But now she uses that traumatic experience as fuel for her dreams, and Ranee Anderson hopes to inspire others from similar communities to do the same.
“As a person growing up in the area, I can see how it can become very easy for individuals to give in to the pressures, because they are not going out, they are not seeing anything else, and everybody around them seems to be doing a certain kind of thing. But I want to give them a different outlook,” said Anderson, a food scientist currently pursuing her Ph.D. in the United States.
“Even though I am an academic, it is perfectly fine if you don’t want to be an academic. Whether it is a cosmetologist, a tradesman, or a plumber; it all depends on how you position yourself and use whatever resources you have to better yourself,” continued Anderson, covered in sawdust as she spoke to the newspaper last week.
Anderson, who is in her late 20s, was among volunteers at a health, dental, and wellness fair series put on by the Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP). More than 1,000 residents of West/East Kingston and Old Harbour Bay in St Catherine benefited from the fair which provided both check-up and pharmaceutical services free of cost. Children and community members battling chronic illnesses were given special care, including holistic wellness services.
The fairs have been running for almost a decade and, according to CEO Dr Wayne McKenzie, “emphasised the intrinsic importance of safeguarding physical and mental well-being in the face of current challenges”.
“At JEP Group, the health of our internal and external stakeholders is fundamental to our mission. We aspired to achieve even more this year, and our resounding success speaks for itself,” continued McKenzie, lauding the programme.
“We aim to serve those who may either lack the means or awareness to prioritise their health. Through sustained efforts, we seek to create lasting impact.”
Health, particularly mental health in some of Jamaica’s toughest communities, is hampered by several social ills, argued Anderson. A major one, she explained, is individuals’ inability to see themselves as worth more than their adversities.
Today, after travelling and living in at least 15 countries, including Japan and the United States, Anderson looks back at her journey from Denham Town Primary School to Holy Childhood High, then to The University of the West Indies, before pursuing work and studies abroad, with humility.
Even on vacation in the community two weeks ago, she still recalls the treatments meted out to residents of her community, recalling one policeman at a checkpoint in the area who accused her of being up to no good as her backpack was extremely light due to exams that day.
Difficulty finding job
The path hasn’t been easy, she stressed, recalling how difficulty in securing meaningful employment after university led her to pursue a career in carpentry. She flourished in it, she said, and even generated income from the trade to continue her academic lessons. Even on vacation, she spent much of her days in her home community working on pieces of furniture.
“A lot of people look down on woodwork, but there is a lot of money involved in woodworking. People are always building and they always want furniture. As long as you manage your money right you can make it,” she charged, explaining how she worked with a tradesman in her community during the roughest times.
However, her academic dreams were always as close as her tape measure, she said, recalling how science teachers at each school found interest in her and steered her path after seeing her love for the subject area. She has won various science competitions and now studies genetically modified foods and the changing effects and treatment of certain bacteria.
“To help make food safer, through modification, I essentially try to kill bacteria that are present in foods. This is a very serious thing because I work with a bacteria called salmonella which is very dangerous and which is also becoming resistant to antibiotics, and so we need to find other ways to kill them,” she explained.
It’s not just those in Tivoli Gardens, but many youngsters in troubled communities who face stereotypes that make it difficult for them to see their value in society. The wider society fuels that as well, explained Anderson.
“People on the outside will have all sorts of things to say about us but, living in Tivoli Gardens, I don’t have that experience. I loved growing up in this community and aside from the violence and all of that I felt really loved, at home, and safe. Anybody in any country that knows me, knows that if there is one thing about Ranee, she is going to talk about going home,” she said.